


He Brought Me Ice Cream

by UnicornsInSpace



Category: Never Have I Ever (TV)
Genre: Banter, But I wanted to write it so, Devi has a pain disorder because chronic illness rep, F/M, Fluff, Garden parties, I am not sure where in the timeline this would go, So there is a short description of pain disorder symptoms, this is so fluffy omg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:47:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26381365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnicornsInSpace/pseuds/UnicornsInSpace
Summary: Devi goes to a garden party with her mom. A surprising person shows up with a bowl of ice cream to brighten her day.
Relationships: Ben Gross/Devi Vishwakumar
Comments: 3
Kudos: 16





	He Brought Me Ice Cream

**Author's Note:**

> So, the story behind this fic is that I was doing this writing challenge where I was supposed to write a little bit every day for a month. One day, I was not sure what to write, but then I remembered the part in 1x10 when Nalini comes to visit Devi, and Patty does not want to accept Nalini's chocolates. She says Mrs. Gross is on a keto diet and does not want sugar in the house. And bam! The idea came to me. I was going to write about someone with a pain disorder and dietary restrictions finally getting to eat a food they used to love again because they found a kind they could eat without repercussions. People with chronic illnesses need better reps in media, and I am also obsessed with these nerds, so of course I had to write about them. (And I ended up completing the writing challenge, so yay! I am super proud of myself.) The name comes from the song "Vanilla Ice Cream" from She Loves Me.  
> Also a shout out to one of my IRL friends for beta-reading even though she is not in the NHIE fandom. Thank you!!! Anyway, without further ado-

It was an unrelenting, hot California day. For some reason, Devi had decided to go to a garden party with her mom. They were standing outside while people mingled and ate popsicles and ice cream, neither of which she could eat, since her body had decided to punish her with pins and needles and stabbing sensations every time she ate more than what was in a small amount of fruit.

At least the garden was nice. The grass was a sort of green that meant they probably used way too much water on it, and there was a gravel path that led to a small pond, which was filled with koi. There were palm trees all around the periphery. A small breeze went by and made the palm tree fronds sway, like a delicate dance. She closed her eyes to better enjoy it. When she opened them,  out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone was walking towards her. She looked towards them and she groaned. It was Ben Gross.

“What do you want, Gross?” She asked.

“Ice cream?” He said. He was holding up a bowl of what looked like some kind of vanilla-chocolate swirl in one hand, and a bowl of mint chocolate chip in the other. He extended the chocolate swirl towards her.

“I can’t have ice cream. It has sugar in it,” She said.

“I know. I got a special sugar-free kind for you. And it’s sweetened with erythritol and not sucralose, since I know you can’t have that either,” He replied.

She took the bowl from him while eyeing him suspiciously.

“Why’re you being nice to me?” She asked.

“I haven’t been so mean to you recently, have I? It’s a peace offering,” He said. “Besides, you’re the only other person here who isn’t over 40,” 

Devi laughed, despite herself. Ben joined in and they laughed together for a few moments.

_ Ben was not always this funny, was he? _ She thought.

Devi took a bite of ice cream and closed her eyes in delight.

“This is so  _ good _ ,” She said, her mouth still full of ice cream. “I can’t remember the last time I had ice cream,”

A large grin spread across Ben’s face. 

“Glad you like it,” Ben said, “I remember what it was like to eat a cookie for the first time after mom went on a keto diet a few years ago and wouldn’t let us have any sugar in the house,”

“How did you get the cookie?”

“I realized she’s never home anyway. I just got a pack from Whole Foods,”

“Of course you went to Whole Foods,” She said, while smiling. Her words did not have the usual venom to them, and it felt kind of nice.

“It’s the one Patty always goes to,” He said defensively. “She takes me with her sometimes, so I know where it is,”

“Who’s Patty?”

“Oh, she’s my housekeeper,”

“Oh, I forgot you’re super rich,” 

“I’m trying to be nice,” He said.

Devi gave him a look to say, “Okay,” and he continued.

“At least I didn’t go to Erewhon,” he said. Devi chuckled, making a weird face while trying not to spit ice cream out on him. “Shira has dragged me there before just to get pictures with the weird foods they have. She said they were good for the ‘gram,”

As her and Ben continued to talk, Devi did not feel so alone anymore. Ben Gross could actually be pretty nice when he wanted to be. Who knew?

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! (Also I made a Devi/Ben discord server. Please join it, I spent lots of time trying to make it well. https://discord.gg/s2KMVpE is the invite link, just react with the notebook to the rules to gain access. Okay bye.)


End file.
